The
Schengen Agreement is a
treaty which was signed on 14 June 1985 by five of the ten member states of the then
European Economic Community near the town of
Schengen in
Luxembourg, but which was only partially implemented until 1995. It proposed the gradual abolition of border checks at the signatories' common borders. Measures proposed included reduced speed vehicle checks which allowed vehicles to cross borders without stopping, allowing residents in border areas freedom to cross borders away from fixed checkpoints and the harmonisation of visa policies.